Process of refining, fractionating, and reducing oils.



N0. 877,620.- PATENTED JA N. 28,1908.

- I 0. & P. E. WELLS. PROCESS OF REFINING,-TRAGTIQNATING, AND REDUCING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. R I .attou mgo No. 877,620. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. W. 0.,,& F. E. WELLS. PROCESS OF REFINING, FRAGTIONATING, AND REDUCING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JAILSO, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PROCESS OF REFINING, FRAOTIONATING, AND REDUCING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

WILLET O. WELLS AND FRANK E. WELLS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed. January 30, 1903. Serial No. 141.109.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLET C. WELLS and FRANK E. WELLs, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Refining, Fractionating, and Reducing Oils, of which the following is a full, clear, .and exact description, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' Petroleum being composed of evenly graded and tenaciously blended constituents ranging in density and volatility from the lightest petroleum ether to the density of solid asphalt; it is not closely consecutively separable into fractions of uniform density by evaporation by boiling, and so sensitive to the effects of heat necessary to evaporate it that all but the benzin portionsof the light petroleums are progressively injured by their boiling temperature; consequently the full natural value of petroleum is not retained by the common practice of fractionating by boiling. Further, because of the heat required to distil petroleum, by boiling it, .the illuminating oil portions of sulfurbearing petroleum contain sulfur, which is difficult to remove. Further, the heavy petroleums like those of the Pacific and Gulf coasts are practically unrefinable by hereto fore known means, they being practically destroyed by the heat of their boiling temperature.

We have discovered a simple and econdmical process of converting all of the evaporable ortions .of any petroleum at one operation IIlllO marketable products, without lIlj'iliy .illuminating o1 ortions thereof being freed thereby from su fur contained in the crude' petroleum.

Our invention is a process of fractionating :crude petroleum, at one operation, into marketable products, by continuously extracting in vapors the lightest and most volatile portions thereof at temperatures insufficient to injure the petroleum, by the ioint use of low heat applied to the petroeum and the absorptive properties of a permanent gas, of approximately equal temperature to the petroleum, brought in contact therewith, preferablyinjected into the bottom of the vessel in fine uniform d1s-' tribution through the oil, and thereby removing the vapors thus extracted, by diffusion with-the gaseous absorbent, and by said diffusion separating the vapors from unvaporized matter and conveying said vapors to a condenser wherein the vapors of petroleum are condensed from the gaseous absorbent. By said means, all of the evaporable portions of any petroleum, or as much of said evaporable portions as is desirable, can be readily and economically extracted therefrom, in vapors, at temperatures far below the boiling point of the petroleum and below the point of temperature at which any portion of any petroleum will be injured by the heat required in its evaporation, and below the point of temperature at which sulfur contained in the petroleum will be converted into vapor. The condensate of the vapors thus extracted, when properly divided into fractions, are pure marketable products that possess their full inherent perfection. The residue being high flash lubricating oil or soluble asphalt according to the nature and characteristics of the petroleum and the quantity of volatile oil extracted.

The accompanying drawings show a means used in the practice of our process; but steam heating or vacuum is not necessary.

We may use any form of apparatus that will.

raise the temperature of the petroleum until a permanent gas of similar temperature brought in moving contact therewith continuously extracts in vapors the lightest and most volatile portions of the etroleum in their consecutive order of volatility and density, as the temperature of the-petroleum and gas are proportionately increased, until all of the evaporable portions, or as much thereof as is desired, of the petroleum is thus extracted; and condense the vapors thus extracted into consecutive fractions.

Of. the drawings {referred to, Figure 1 is chiefly a vertical sectional view of the several elements of the apparatus, some of the parts being in full. Fig.2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the separating vessel taken on a plane indicated by line w-;c Fig. 4, lookin down. Fig. {i is a verticalsectional 'view of t 1e sepa-' rating vessel on theline yy, Fig. 3, they gas pipe and oil heating coil being shown in full lines. perforated gas tubes.

In the several views, 1 designates the separating vessel to contain the "petroleum to be refined and fractionated.

Fi 5 is a cross section of one offthe 2 is a coiled stem-heating pipe within the separating vessel 1, and having upper and lower connections with the steam-generating boiler, 3, above the water line.

1 designates a gooseneck leading from the top of the separating vessel.

1 is a condensing coil connecting gooseneck 1 with receiving vessel 4. 5 is a pi e conduit connecting receiving vessel 4 wit gas pump 6, which, in this case, is provided with check valves 6 and 6 to permit the escape of surplus gas in creating a partial vacuum and to restore equihbrium.

with a lessened vacuum.

7 is an exhaust pipe of the pump 6, conducting its exhaust through an adjustable vacuum valve 7 in said pipe.

In the particular construction shown, the pipe 7 is connected outside the'separating vessel witha horizontal cross-pipe 7 from which extends vertically downward through the head of the separating vessel a series of branches 7' to points near the bottom of the vessel where they are connected to curved pipes 7 alternating with the coils of the steam heating pipe 2. Each of the curved pipes 7 is provided on the under side with numerous small perforations 7 see Fig. 5. The condensing coil 1 is inclosed in a vessel 8 adapted to receive cold, running wateror other cooling agent.

Depending from the conduit pipe 1 is a transparent cup 10 provided with stop-cocks above and below to permit the removal of its contents. Also depending from the pipe 1 is a trap 1], for collecting water. This trap 11 is also provided with stop-cocks above and below to permit the removal of its contents. This trap has transparent panel to permit a View of its contents. A transparent section 12'is inserted in the vertical part of the pipe 1 to permit the flowing liquid to be seen.

When several of the receivers 4 are employed, the pipe 1 is furnished with branches 1", see Fig. 2, one for each receiver, and each.

branch is provided with a stop-cock, as indicated at 1 and 1 so that the condensed liquid in the pipe 1 can be collected first in one receiver and then in another according to the grades required. 5 is also provided with branches 5 connected with the receivers, and these branches are furnished with stop cocks, as indicated at 5 and 5.

In operation, the branches of the pipes 1 and 5* connected with vessel 4- that is receiving oil is opened, while the branches connected with the vessel or vessels that are not receiving oil are closed. With this construction' the separation of the petroleum into light and heavier grades can proceed without lnterruption.

13 is an outlet for discharging the reduced oil, or the residue from the separating vessel.

In this case the pipe charged with crude petroleum, and steam generated in the boiler 3 circulates through the heating coil 2. When the petroleum in the separating vessel has reached the proper temperature, vacuum pump 6 is started creating a partial vacuum in the separating vessel, thus causing the absorbent from the exhaust to pass through the vacuum valve 7, the branch pipes 7 ,perforated curved pipes 7 and upward through the body of the petroleum in uniform distribution. As the absorbent in its course through the pipes 7 b and 7, within the separating vessel, and through the fine perforations in said pipes, it is warmed. thereby to a temperature approximately equal to the temperature of the petroleum. As each stream of bubbles of heated gas rises through the heated petroleum, the absorptive properties of the gas joins with the vapor tension of the petroleum to extract in vapors,

far below the boiling point of the petroleum, at the point of contact of each bubble of gas with the petroleum, that portion of the petroleum possessed of sufficient vapor tension at that temperature. The absorbent, with the vapors of petroleum diffused therewith are drawn through the gooseneck 1.? into the condensing coil 1 where it is cooled and deposits its load of diffused vaporsin the form of a naturally separated fraction of petroleum collected in receptacle 4.

As the more volatile portions of the petroleum are removed, the density of the remainder increases, and its volatility proportionatelydecreases, thus requiring a progressively increasedtemperature to ren'iove all the volatile portions. I

By diverting the condensed products into different receptacles 4, as herinbefore indicated, the volatile-portions of the petroleum can be separated into as many fractions as desired. a 4

We claim:

1.- The process of fractionating petroleum by gradually raising the temperature of the petroleum, but not to its boiling point, passing therethrough a permanent gas, of substantially the temperature of the petroleum, thereby extracting in vapors the lightest and most volatile portions of the petroleum in their consecutive order, by the joint use of the heat applied to'the petroleum and the absorptive properties of the permanent gas, and condensing and collecting the condensed vapors into consecut'ive'fractions.

2. The process of converting petroleum, at

one operation, into fractionated commercial products, each fraction thereof retaining its full natural value, by progressively increasing its volatility by raising the temperature of the petroleum, but not to its boiling point,

and passing therethrough a gaseous absorbent of atemperature practically equal to the temperature of the petroleum, and by the In operation, the separating vessel 1 is joint use of the heat applied to the petroleum absorbent extract in their consecutive order themost volatile portions asvapor, and condensing the vapors of petroleum from the the absorbent in continuous cycle.

absorbent.

3. The process of fractionating petroleum absorbent, and returning the absorbent in continuous cycle, said condensate being refined products.

4. The process of fractionating petroleum by progressively increasing its volatility by raising the temperature of the petroleum, but not to its boiling point, and passing therethrough a gaseous absorbent of a temperature practically equal to the temperature of the petroleum, thus consecutively extracting the most volatile portions of the petroleum in vapors, from Within the body of the petroleum, condensing the vapors from said absorbent and returning the absorbent in continuous cycle. 4

5. The process of fractionating petroleum by progressively increasing its volatility by raising the temperature of the petroleum, but not to its boiling point, and passing therethrough a gaseous absorbent of a temperature practically equal to the temperature of the petroleum, thus extracting vapors of petroleum, in their order of volatility, at

temperatures insuflicient to injure the petroleum and condensing the absorbed vapors from the gaseous absorbent, and returning 6, The process of extracting the illuminating oil vportions of sulfur-bearing petro-.

leum from the sulfur contained in the petroleum, by gradually raising the temperature of the petroleum, and by the joint use of the heat applied to the petroleum and the absorptive properties of a permanent gas passed therethrough, extracting therefrom the illuminating oil portions of the petroleum as vapors below the point of temperature at which sulfur contained in the petroleum will be evolved in vapors and condensing said vapors from the absorbent.

7. The process of reducing petroleum to lubricating oil of high fire test and viscosity, or to dry soluble asphalt, by gradually raising the temperature of the petroleum, but

hot to its boiling point, and by the joint-use of the. heat applied to the petroleum and the absorptive properties of a permanent gas, of substantially the temperature of thepetroleum, passed therethrough, extracting therefrom the lightest portions of the petroleum in their consecutive order until the desired fire test oil is obtained in the reduced product, or to the proper dryness if asphalt is desired. p

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLET o. WELLS. FRANK E. WELLS. Witnessesz' H. M. SEAMANs, I. C. DELANEY 

